A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them
fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit
was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The
two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit
with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop,
that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took
heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down
and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again,
the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He
jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the
other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to
them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the
entire time.
This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging
word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it
through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes
to kill them.
Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your
path. The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand
that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak
words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in
difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time
to encourage another.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sand and Stone
A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE."
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE."
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"
The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."
LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND, AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
But nature and the whales had another vision on store for us. Instead we were shown the richnss of the whales in their natural habitat. In fact their demonstration of life was unbelievably incredible.
We left Kona and headed north and as soon as we exited the harbor we saw a whale breach. As we headed north we came across and mother and a calf breaching. It was as though she was teaching her new one the joy of rising out of the water and taking a look around. After watching them play for an hour or more we saw two whales on the horizon breachig time after time. We headed off towards them and their behaviour changed to one of courtship and mating with their long fins slapping time and time again into the water.
By this time we realized the water was full of whales that day!
We lowered a hydrophone into the water listened to their sounds and possibly for the LFAS sound. But we only heard the whales whelping and hooting. I had decided to go for a swim with a couple of my friends and we slipped into the water knowing that there might be a whale close by.
The previous week we had gone out and hardly saw any whales. At one point we lowered the hydrophone into the water and there were two males singing the most beautiful song. We recorded their song while we took a swim and I was playing diving down deep and floating to the top with my arms outstretched and my heart open. It was beautiful and the
photographs came out perfect!
Any way as we slipped into the water we swam in formation with our hearts open and full. We were about 25 feet away from the boat when suddenly a whale breached and arched her back with her fins wide open her heart towards us and the boat behind. We, however, did not see anything as she came up once and then came up again as if to say your heart is open I can feel you, my heart is open I acknowledge you. Our friends on the boat were besides themselves, not with fear but with happiness and joy. We had been preparing in meditation and healing sessions for this encounter, and we were rewarded. We have yet to see if the photos came out!
Later in the day we saw two males doing their territorial thing and as it were wrestling with the other. They breached out of the water and back in again jostling the other of their kingdom.
I learnt... or relearnt something very important. I had become burnt out from working the web site for the LFAS and trying to stay abreast of all that was going on.
I was reminded that there is a peaceful way of changing our world.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it."
YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Puppies For Sale
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything?
It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window --- and that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence-deathly silence.
The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away-no works, no fuss.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed...........
It faced a blank wall.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Super Hero
Nathaniel Bronner Jr.
Dr. Marilyn spoke at our staff meeting. She took us through exercises as she worked to get our minds and spirits adjusted to a more positive direction.
"Close your eyes and think back to when you were small. What did you want to be? What were your dreams? What did you want to do? Close your eyes and think back." she instructed.
I closed my eyes and thought back. I remembered what I wanted to be.
Dr. Marilyn then told of her early beginnings as a writer. She told of the articles and the publishing successes that she experienced but so many of them were punctuated by, "I didn't get paid for that."
Her words struck me.
I worked in a corner drug store when I was very small. I was below the age limit to work but the store made an exception. My father owned the store, thus the exception.
I worked long and hard. I treasured my lunch breaks. Not so much for the food or the rest, it was what I did during my lunch breaks that I treasured. I read comic books. I read the action books, not the romance or the comedies, action, pure action.
When I closed my eyes and thought back, I knew instantly what I had aspired to be.
A Super Hero!
Superman, Batman, Spiderman and Ironman were some of my heroes.
In all of the action comics that I read, there were two distinct patterns. Those two patterns were in every action comic book that I can recall.
First, there was always a battle between good and evil. The battle was always tough. The battle was always a close call. No matter how strong or how many powers the Super Hero had, evil pushed him to the very limit and most times almost defeated him.
Second, the Super Hero was never paid for his contribution to society; he always earned his living in his alter ego.
Superman made money as Clark Kent, a newspaper reporter.
Batman made money as Bruce Wayne, a rich industrialist.
Spiderman made money as Peter Parker, a photographer.
Ironman made money as Tony Stark, owner of Stark Industries.
None of them were paid for being a Super Hero and the contributions they made as Super Heroes.
As I listened to Dr. Marilyn state how she had never been paid for many things, a light popped on in my mind.
"The real Super Heroes don't get paid for the Super Hero stuff!"
I pastor a church and have never accepted a salary or taken up love offerings for myself. It's correct to be fairly compensated but I, like Paul, simply choose not to.
I am the editor of MountainWings and the AirJesus.com websites, and I don’t get any money for that either.
I realized as my eyes were closed that it is Super Hero stuff and my dream has been realized.
You've got Super Hero stuff too.
Parenting
Volunteering
Helping a stranger or friend in need
Doing anything beneficial that takes time, effort, energy or resources and where you expect no monetary return is Super Hero stuff.
Use your powers well.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE EMPEROR' S SEED
Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was coming time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he decided to do something different.
He called all the young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It has come time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One seed. It is a very special seed. I want you to go home, plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring to me, and the one I choose will be the next emperor of the kingdom!"
There was one boy named Ling who was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the whole story. She helped him get a pot and some planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.
After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept going home and checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by. Still nothing.
By now others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she encouraged him to go, and to take his pot, and to be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by all the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"
All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?
Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grown, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE."
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE."
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"
The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."
LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND, AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A BOX FULL OF KISSES
The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."
The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.
Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses... from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Peaceful Way Of Changing the WorldThe story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."
The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.
Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses... from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
by Sheoli Makara
Last Saturday as part of the trip the captain asked me if the group would be OK with trying to find the Navy LFAS vessels so we could swim in the waters and possibly halt the testing. I knew that would be OK with me and possibly with the others.But nature and the whales had another vision on store for us. Instead we were shown the richnss of the whales in their natural habitat. In fact their demonstration of life was unbelievably incredible.
We left Kona and headed north and as soon as we exited the harbor we saw a whale breach. As we headed north we came across and mother and a calf breaching. It was as though she was teaching her new one the joy of rising out of the water and taking a look around. After watching them play for an hour or more we saw two whales on the horizon breachig time after time. We headed off towards them and their behaviour changed to one of courtship and mating with their long fins slapping time and time again into the water.
By this time we realized the water was full of whales that day!
We lowered a hydrophone into the water listened to their sounds and possibly for the LFAS sound. But we only heard the whales whelping and hooting. I had decided to go for a swim with a couple of my friends and we slipped into the water knowing that there might be a whale close by.
The previous week we had gone out and hardly saw any whales. At one point we lowered the hydrophone into the water and there were two males singing the most beautiful song. We recorded their song while we took a swim and I was playing diving down deep and floating to the top with my arms outstretched and my heart open. It was beautiful and the
photographs came out perfect!
Any way as we slipped into the water we swam in formation with our hearts open and full. We were about 25 feet away from the boat when suddenly a whale breached and arched her back with her fins wide open her heart towards us and the boat behind. We, however, did not see anything as she came up once and then came up again as if to say your heart is open I can feel you, my heart is open I acknowledge you. Our friends on the boat were besides themselves, not with fear but with happiness and joy. We had been preparing in meditation and healing sessions for this encounter, and we were rewarded. We have yet to see if the photos came out!
Later in the day we saw two males doing their territorial thing and as it were wrestling with the other. They breached out of the water and back in again jostling the other of their kingdom.
I learnt... or relearnt something very important. I had become burnt out from working the web site for the LFAS and trying to stay abreast of all that was going on.
I was reminded that there is a peaceful way of changing our world.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mountain Story
An interesting short story
"A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it."
YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Puppies For Sale
A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the 4 pups. And set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a little boy. "Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies."
1 người nông dân có vài chú chó con cần bán. Ông làm 1 cái bảng quảng cáo về chúng và bắt đầu đóng tấm bảng đó vào 1 cây cột cạnh sân nhà. Khi ông đang đóng cây đinh cuối cùng vào cây cột, ông cảm thấy có ai đó đang giật liên tục vào áo mình. Ông cúi xuống nhìn và bắt gặp ánh mắt của 1 cậu bé. cậu nói :“ ông ơi, cháu muốn mua 1 con chó of ông "
"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat of the back of his neck, "These puppies come from fine parents and cost a great deal of money." The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deeply into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?"
Người nông dân lau mồ hôi sau gáy và trả lời “ ah, những con chó này được sinh ra từ bố mẹ tốt giống và được bán giá cao. ". Cậu bé gục đầu xuống 1 lát , rồi thọc sâu tay vào túi quần, cậu lôi ra 1 nắm đầy những đồng tiền lẻ và đưa nó cho người nông dân , “ cháu chỉ có 39 xu, có đủ để ngắm chúng 1 chút ko ah?”
"Sure," said the farmer. Then he let out a whistle and called "Here, Dolly!" . Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared, this one was noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....
Người nông dân trả lời “được chứ” . Rồi ông huýt sáo và gọi " Lại đây Dolly ” . Từ trong chuồng chó, Dolly chạy xuống những bậc thềm và theo sau là 4 chú chó như những trái banh lông nhỏ. Cậu bé dõi ánh mắt xuống sợi dây nối với hàng rào . Ánh mắt cậu lấp lánh niềm vui . Khi những con chó chạy thành hàng đến hàng rào, cậu bé để ý thấy vẫn còn 1 thứ gì đó chuyển động trong chuồng chó. Rồi 1 con chó khác chậm chạp xuất hiện, trông nó có vẻ nhỏ hơn những con kia. Nó trượt ngã xuống bậc thềm. ngập ngừng 1 chút,nó bắt đầu bứơc tập tễnh tới nhũng con chó khác, cố hết sức để đuổi kịp chúng.
"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down by the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would." With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands." With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy. "How much?" asked the little boy. "No charge," answered the farmer, "There's no charge for love."
Cậu bé chỉ vào con chó yếu nhất trong đám và nói " cháu muốn con chó đó ” . Người nông dân quì xuống bên cạnh cậu bé và nói “ con trai ơi, con không nên lấy con chó đó, nó không thể chạy nhảy và đùa giỡn với con như những con khác đâu”. Cậu bé quay lưng lại hàng rào, cúi xuống và từ từ kéo 1 ống quần lên.., để lộ ra 2 cái nẹp sắt chạy dài xuống 2 bên chân và nối với chiếc giày được thiết kế riêng. Ngước lên nhìn người nông dân, cậu nói “ ông thấy đó, tự cháu cũng ko thể chạy nhảy được và con chó đó cần 1 người để hiểu & cảm thông” .Mắt rướm lệ, người nông dân cúi xuống , bồng con chó nhỏ lên và cẩn thận trao nó cho cậu bé. Cậu hỏi "bao nhiêu tiền vậy ông?” .Người nông dân trả lời “ ko con ah,, tình thương thì ko thể tính bằng tiền ”
Trong cuộc sống, có những người bất hạnh, vừa sinh ra đã fải chịu 1 khiếm khuyết nào đó of cơ thể ; cũng có những người sinh ra lành lặn, nhưng vì tai nạn hay 1 căn bệnh nào đó mà trở thành người khuyết tật. nhưng họ vẫn chấp nhận và sống lạc quan. còn chúng ta, những người may mắn hơn họ thì sao? đôi khi vì vô tình, thậm chí có người cố tình đem những khuyết tật đó of họ ra làm trò hề, trò giải trí , đùa cợt với sự bất hạnh và nỗi đau of họ. Cho nên KHUYẾT TẬT OF CƠ THỂ KO ĐÁNG SỢ BẰNG KHUYẾT TẬT TRONG TÂM HỒN
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A Happy Marriage
There was once a man and woman who had been married for more than 60 years. They
had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no
secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoebox in the
top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her
about.
For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the
little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In
trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoebox and
took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know
what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted doilies and a
stack of money totaling $25,000.
He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "my
grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told
me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a
doily." The little old man was so moved, he had to fight back tears. Only two
precious doilies were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in
all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness."Honey," he
said, "that explains the doilies, but what about all of this money? Where did it
come from?" "Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the doilies.
A Prayer:
Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; And
Patience for his moods; Because Lord if I pray for Strength I'll beat him to
death. Amen
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In the morning of life came the good fairy with her basket and said:
“Here are gifts. Take one, leave the others. And be wary, choose wisely; oh, choose wisely! for only one of them is valuable.”
The gifts were five: Fame, Love, Riches, Pleasure, Death. The youth said, eagerly:
“There is no need to consider”; and he chose Pleasure.
He went out into the world and sought out the pleasures that youth delights in. But each in its turn was short-lived and disappointing, vain and empty; and each, departing, mocked him. In the end he said: “These years I have wasted. If I could but choose again, I would choose wisely.”
II
The fairy appeared, and said:
“Four of the gifts remain. Choose once more; and oh, remember—time is flying, and only one of them is precious.”
The man considered long, then chose Love; and did not mark the tears that rose in the fairy’s eyes.
After many, many years the man sat by a coffin, in an empty home. And he communed with himself, saying: “One by one they have gone away and left me; and now she lies here, the dearest and the last. Desolation after desolation has swept over me; for each hour of happiness the treacherous trader, Love, has sold me I have paid a thousand hours of grief. Out of my heart of hearts I curse him.”
III
“Choose again.” It was the fairy speaking.
“The years have taught you wisdom—surely it must be so. Three gifts remain. Only one of them has any worth—remember it, and choose warily.”
The man reflected long, then chose Fame; and the fairy, sighing, went her way.
Years went by and she came again, and stood behind the man where he sat solitary in the fading day, thinking. And she knew his thought:
“My name filled the world, and its praises were on every tongue, and it seemed well with me for a little while. How little a while it was! Then came envy; then detraction; then calumny; then hate; then persecution. Then derision, which is the beginning of the end. And last of all came pity, which is the funeral of fame. Oh, the bitterness and misery of renown! target for mud in its prime, for contempt and compassion in its decay.”
IV
“Choose yet again.” It was the fairy’s voice.
“Two gifts remain. And do not despair. In the beginning there was but one that was precious, and it is still here.”
“Wealth—which is power! How blind I was!” said the man. “Now, at last, life will be worth the living. I will spend, squander, dazzle. These mockers and despisers will crawl in the dirt before me, and I will feed my hungry heart with their envy. I will have all luxuries, all joys, all enchantments of the spirit, all contentments of the body that man holds dear. I will buy, buy, buy! deference, respect, esteem, worship—every pinchbeck grace of life the market of a trivial world can furnish forth. I have lost much time, and chosen badly heretofore, but let that pass; I was ignorant then, and could but take for best what seemed so.”
Three short years went by, and a day came when the man sat shivering in a mean garret; and he was gaunt and wan and hollow-eyed, and clothed in rags; and he was gnawing a dry crust and mumbling:
“Curse all the world’s gifts, for mockeries and gilded lies! And miscalled, every one. They are not gifts, but merely lendings. Pleasure, Love, Fame, Riches: they are but temporary disguises for lasting realities—Pain, Grief, Shame, Poverty. The fairy said true; in all her store there was but one gift which was precious, only one that was not valueless. How poor and cheap and mean I know those others now to be, compared with that inestimable one, that dear and sweet and kindly one, that steeps in dream-less and enduring sleep the pains that persecute the body, and the shames and griefs that eat the mind and heart. Bring it! I am weary, I would rest.”
V
The fairy came, bringing again four of the gifts, but Death was wanting. She said:
“I gave it to a mother’s pet, a little child. It was ignorant, but trusted me, asking me to choose for it. You did not ask me to choose.”
“Oh, miserable me! What is there left for me?”
“What not even you have deserved: the wanton insult of Old Age.”
Happy Mother' S Day ! 1 người nông dân có vài chú chó con cần bán. Ông làm 1 cái bảng quảng cáo về chúng và bắt đầu đóng tấm bảng đó vào 1 cây cột cạnh sân nhà. Khi ông đang đóng cây đinh cuối cùng vào cây cột, ông cảm thấy có ai đó đang giật liên tục vào áo mình. Ông cúi xuống nhìn và bắt gặp ánh mắt của 1 cậu bé. cậu nói :“ ông ơi, cháu muốn mua 1 con chó of ông "
"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat of the back of his neck, "These puppies come from fine parents and cost a great deal of money." The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deeply into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?"
Người nông dân lau mồ hôi sau gáy và trả lời “ ah, những con chó này được sinh ra từ bố mẹ tốt giống và được bán giá cao. ". Cậu bé gục đầu xuống 1 lát , rồi thọc sâu tay vào túi quần, cậu lôi ra 1 nắm đầy những đồng tiền lẻ và đưa nó cho người nông dân , “ cháu chỉ có 39 xu, có đủ để ngắm chúng 1 chút ko ah?”
"Sure," said the farmer. Then he let out a whistle and called "Here, Dolly!" . Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared, this one was noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....
Người nông dân trả lời “được chứ” . Rồi ông huýt sáo và gọi " Lại đây Dolly ” . Từ trong chuồng chó, Dolly chạy xuống những bậc thềm và theo sau là 4 chú chó như những trái banh lông nhỏ. Cậu bé dõi ánh mắt xuống sợi dây nối với hàng rào . Ánh mắt cậu lấp lánh niềm vui . Khi những con chó chạy thành hàng đến hàng rào, cậu bé để ý thấy vẫn còn 1 thứ gì đó chuyển động trong chuồng chó. Rồi 1 con chó khác chậm chạp xuất hiện, trông nó có vẻ nhỏ hơn những con kia. Nó trượt ngã xuống bậc thềm. ngập ngừng 1 chút,nó bắt đầu bứơc tập tễnh tới nhũng con chó khác, cố hết sức để đuổi kịp chúng.
"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down by the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would." With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands." With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy. "How much?" asked the little boy. "No charge," answered the farmer, "There's no charge for love."
Cậu bé chỉ vào con chó yếu nhất trong đám và nói " cháu muốn con chó đó ” . Người nông dân quì xuống bên cạnh cậu bé và nói “ con trai ơi, con không nên lấy con chó đó, nó không thể chạy nhảy và đùa giỡn với con như những con khác đâu”. Cậu bé quay lưng lại hàng rào, cúi xuống và từ từ kéo 1 ống quần lên.., để lộ ra 2 cái nẹp sắt chạy dài xuống 2 bên chân và nối với chiếc giày được thiết kế riêng. Ngước lên nhìn người nông dân, cậu nói “ ông thấy đó, tự cháu cũng ko thể chạy nhảy được và con chó đó cần 1 người để hiểu & cảm thông” .Mắt rướm lệ, người nông dân cúi xuống , bồng con chó nhỏ lên và cẩn thận trao nó cho cậu bé. Cậu hỏi "bao nhiêu tiền vậy ông?” .Người nông dân trả lời “ ko con ah,, tình thương thì ko thể tính bằng tiền ”
Trong cuộc sống, có những người bất hạnh, vừa sinh ra đã fải chịu 1 khiếm khuyết nào đó of cơ thể ; cũng có những người sinh ra lành lặn, nhưng vì tai nạn hay 1 căn bệnh nào đó mà trở thành người khuyết tật. nhưng họ vẫn chấp nhận và sống lạc quan. còn chúng ta, những người may mắn hơn họ thì sao? đôi khi vì vô tình, thậm chí có người cố tình đem những khuyết tật đó of họ ra làm trò hề, trò giải trí , đùa cợt với sự bất hạnh và nỗi đau of họ. Cho nên KHUYẾT TẬT OF CƠ THỂ KO ĐÁNG SỢ BẰNG KHUYẾT TẬT TRONG TÂM HỒN
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A Happy Marriage
There was once a man and woman who had been married for more than 60 years. They
had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no
secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoebox in the
top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her
about.
For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the
little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In
trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoebox and
took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know
what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted doilies and a
stack of money totaling $25,000.
He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "my
grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told
me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a
doily." The little old man was so moved, he had to fight back tears. Only two
precious doilies were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in
all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness."Honey," he
said, "that explains the doilies, but what about all of this money? Where did it
come from?" "Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the doilies.
A Prayer:
Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; And
Patience for his moods; Because Lord if I pray for Strength I'll beat him to
death. Amen
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The five boons of life
IIn the morning of life came the good fairy with her basket and said:
“Here are gifts. Take one, leave the others. And be wary, choose wisely; oh, choose wisely! for only one of them is valuable.”
The gifts were five: Fame, Love, Riches, Pleasure, Death. The youth said, eagerly:
“There is no need to consider”; and he chose Pleasure.
He went out into the world and sought out the pleasures that youth delights in. But each in its turn was short-lived and disappointing, vain and empty; and each, departing, mocked him. In the end he said: “These years I have wasted. If I could but choose again, I would choose wisely.”
II
The fairy appeared, and said:
“Four of the gifts remain. Choose once more; and oh, remember—time is flying, and only one of them is precious.”
The man considered long, then chose Love; and did not mark the tears that rose in the fairy’s eyes.
After many, many years the man sat by a coffin, in an empty home. And he communed with himself, saying: “One by one they have gone away and left me; and now she lies here, the dearest and the last. Desolation after desolation has swept over me; for each hour of happiness the treacherous trader, Love, has sold me I have paid a thousand hours of grief. Out of my heart of hearts I curse him.”
III
“Choose again.” It was the fairy speaking.
“The years have taught you wisdom—surely it must be so. Three gifts remain. Only one of them has any worth—remember it, and choose warily.”
The man reflected long, then chose Fame; and the fairy, sighing, went her way.
Years went by and she came again, and stood behind the man where he sat solitary in the fading day, thinking. And she knew his thought:
“My name filled the world, and its praises were on every tongue, and it seemed well with me for a little while. How little a while it was! Then came envy; then detraction; then calumny; then hate; then persecution. Then derision, which is the beginning of the end. And last of all came pity, which is the funeral of fame. Oh, the bitterness and misery of renown! target for mud in its prime, for contempt and compassion in its decay.”
IV
“Choose yet again.” It was the fairy’s voice.
“Two gifts remain. And do not despair. In the beginning there was but one that was precious, and it is still here.”
“Wealth—which is power! How blind I was!” said the man. “Now, at last, life will be worth the living. I will spend, squander, dazzle. These mockers and despisers will crawl in the dirt before me, and I will feed my hungry heart with their envy. I will have all luxuries, all joys, all enchantments of the spirit, all contentments of the body that man holds dear. I will buy, buy, buy! deference, respect, esteem, worship—every pinchbeck grace of life the market of a trivial world can furnish forth. I have lost much time, and chosen badly heretofore, but let that pass; I was ignorant then, and could but take for best what seemed so.”
Three short years went by, and a day came when the man sat shivering in a mean garret; and he was gaunt and wan and hollow-eyed, and clothed in rags; and he was gnawing a dry crust and mumbling:
“Curse all the world’s gifts, for mockeries and gilded lies! And miscalled, every one. They are not gifts, but merely lendings. Pleasure, Love, Fame, Riches: they are but temporary disguises for lasting realities—Pain, Grief, Shame, Poverty. The fairy said true; in all her store there was but one gift which was precious, only one that was not valueless. How poor and cheap and mean I know those others now to be, compared with that inestimable one, that dear and sweet and kindly one, that steeps in dream-less and enduring sleep the pains that persecute the body, and the shames and griefs that eat the mind and heart. Bring it! I am weary, I would rest.”
V
The fairy came, bringing again four of the gifts, but Death was wanting. She said:
“I gave it to a mother’s pet, a little child. It was ignorant, but trusted me, asking me to choose for it. You did not ask me to choose.”
“Oh, miserable me! What is there left for me?”
“What not even you have deserved: the wanton insult of Old Age.”
–Mark Twain
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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
M is for the Memories... so sweet upon my mind
O is for Only good.... cause' good is, oh so kind
T is for Things given.... only with a Mother' s love
H is for her Heart.... given blessings from above
E is for Eternal... as only Mother's love can be
R is for our Righteous Savior... whose way you taught to me
TOgether these spell MOTHER
So precious and so warm
For she will keep me from harm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
O is for Only good.... cause' good is, oh so kind
T is for Things given.... only with a Mother' s love
H is for her Heart.... given blessings from above
E is for Eternal... as only Mother's love can be
R is for our Righteous Savior... whose way you taught to me
TOgether these spell MOTHER
So precious and so warm
For she will keep me from harm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Wooden Bowl
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass often milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about grandfather," said the son. I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.
For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day that building blocks are being laid for the child's future.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass often milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about grandfather," said the son. I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.
For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day that building blocks are being laid for the child's future.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Building Your House
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house... my gift to you."
The carpenter was shocked!
What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.
But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The WindowAn elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house... my gift to you."
The carpenter was shocked!
What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.
But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything?
It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window --- and that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence-deathly silence.
The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away-no works, no fuss.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed...........
It faced a blank wall.
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Super Hero
Nathaniel Bronner Jr.
Dr. Marilyn spoke at our staff meeting. She took us through exercises as she worked to get our minds and spirits adjusted to a more positive direction.
"Close your eyes and think back to when you were small. What did you want to be? What were your dreams? What did you want to do? Close your eyes and think back." she instructed.
I closed my eyes and thought back. I remembered what I wanted to be.
Dr. Marilyn then told of her early beginnings as a writer. She told of the articles and the publishing successes that she experienced but so many of them were punctuated by, "I didn't get paid for that."
Her words struck me.
I worked in a corner drug store when I was very small. I was below the age limit to work but the store made an exception. My father owned the store, thus the exception.
I worked long and hard. I treasured my lunch breaks. Not so much for the food or the rest, it was what I did during my lunch breaks that I treasured. I read comic books. I read the action books, not the romance or the comedies, action, pure action.
When I closed my eyes and thought back, I knew instantly what I had aspired to be.
A Super Hero!
Superman, Batman, Spiderman and Ironman were some of my heroes.
In all of the action comics that I read, there were two distinct patterns. Those two patterns were in every action comic book that I can recall.
First, there was always a battle between good and evil. The battle was always tough. The battle was always a close call. No matter how strong or how many powers the Super Hero had, evil pushed him to the very limit and most times almost defeated him.
Second, the Super Hero was never paid for his contribution to society; he always earned his living in his alter ego.
Superman made money as Clark Kent, a newspaper reporter.
Batman made money as Bruce Wayne, a rich industrialist.
Spiderman made money as Peter Parker, a photographer.
Ironman made money as Tony Stark, owner of Stark Industries.
None of them were paid for being a Super Hero and the contributions they made as Super Heroes.
As I listened to Dr. Marilyn state how she had never been paid for many things, a light popped on in my mind.
"The real Super Heroes don't get paid for the Super Hero stuff!"
I pastor a church and have never accepted a salary or taken up love offerings for myself. It's correct to be fairly compensated but I, like Paul, simply choose not to.
I am the editor of MountainWings and the AirJesus.com websites, and I don’t get any money for that either.
I realized as my eyes were closed that it is Super Hero stuff and my dream has been realized.
You've got Super Hero stuff too.
Parenting
Volunteering
Helping a stranger or friend in need
Doing anything beneficial that takes time, effort, energy or resources and where you expect no monetary return is Super Hero stuff.
Use your powers well.
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THE EMPEROR' S SEED
Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was coming time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he decided to do something different.
He called all the young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It has come time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One seed. It is a very special seed. I want you to go home, plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring to me, and the one I choose will be the next emperor of the kingdom!"
There was one boy named Ling who was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the whole story. She helped him get a pot and some planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.
After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept going home and checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by. Still nothing.
By now others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she encouraged him to go, and to take his pot, and to be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by all the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"
All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?
Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grown, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
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How Old Are You?
(By Catherine Pulsifer )
If we did not know our age, some of us would appear to be very young, and some of us would seem very old.
Sometimes, people use age as a convenient excuse. "I'm too old to start something new", or, "I couldn't learn that at my age." Other people, though, go on to achieve their greatest accomplishments in life in later years.
Take, for example, Colonel Harland Sanders who started franchising his chicken outlets when he was 65 years old. Up to the age of 90 years old he traveled 250,000 miles a year visiting KFC franchises. He not only overcame personal and business adversities, but more importantly, he didn't let age stand in his way!
Feelings lead to attitudes, attitudes become beliefs, and beliefs become the basis for actions.
It is not important how old you are;
it is how you feel, how you think,
and what you do that is important.
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was
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(By Catherine Pulsifer )
If we did not know our age, some of us would appear to be very young, and some of us would seem very old.
Sometimes, people use age as a convenient excuse. "I'm too old to start something new", or, "I couldn't learn that at my age." Other people, though, go on to achieve their greatest accomplishments in life in later years.
Take, for example, Colonel Harland Sanders who started franchising his chicken outlets when he was 65 years old. Up to the age of 90 years old he traveled 250,000 miles a year visiting KFC franchises. He not only overcame personal and business adversities, but more importantly, he didn't let age stand in his way!
Feelings lead to attitudes, attitudes become beliefs, and beliefs become the basis for actions.
It is not important how old you are;
it is how you feel, how you think,
and what you do that is important.
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was
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FOR SOMEONE WHO LOVES PETS
Lucky's Greatest Treasure
Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit, they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease...in fact, she was just sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.
The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.
Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad. but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke, for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned!
While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying. Instead, she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day.
It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
----> DOG IS THE MOST LOYALT FRIEND OF MAN
Lucky's Greatest Treasure
Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit, they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease...in fact, she was just sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.
The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.
Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad. but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke, for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned!
While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying. Instead, she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day.
It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
----> DOG IS THE MOST LOYALT FRIEND OF MAN
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